Senior Commercial Real Estate and Corporate Paralegal

Company Description: Churchill Shively PLLC is a North Carolina-focused law firm that delivers customized legal and business solutions across commercial real estate, financial services, residential real estate, corporate/business law, and fractional in-house counsel. The firm combines “big law” experience with the responsiveness and hospitable service of a boutique practice, guiding clients through each step of transactions, real estate projects, and business ventures. The team is committed to diligent work and careful stewardship of client resources to achieve favorable outcomes.

Role Description : This is a hands-on senior position for someone who can manage the paralegal and administrative aspects of commercial real estate and corporate transactions from intake through closing and post-closing, while also helping manage firm workflows and operations. The ideal candidate takes ownership of matters, anticipates next steps, manages deadlines, communicates effectively with clients and transaction participants, and recognizes issues that require attorney review.

Key Responsibilities :

Commercial Real Estate Transactions

• Manage commercial acquisitions, dispositions, financing transactions and other real estate matters from opening through closing and post-closing.
• Maintain transaction checklists and track due diligence, financing, closing and other critical deadlines.
• Coordinate with clients, lenders, brokers, opposing counsel, title companies, surveyors, governmental offices and other transaction participants.
• Prepare routine transactional and closing documents.
• Coordinate document execution, closing logistics, recording and post-closing matters.
• Prepare and maintain electronic closing binders and organized transaction files.

Title and Survey

• Coordinate title searches and title examinations for commercial real estate transactions.
• Review deeds, deeds of trust, easements, restrictive covenants, rights-of-way, declarations, judgments, liens and other recorded instruments.
• Identify title exceptions and potential title issues for attorney review.
• Review title commitments and supporting exception documents.
• Review ALTA/NSPS and other commercial surveys, including property boundaries, easements, rights-of-way, encroachments, access and other survey matters.
• Coordinate with title companies, surveyors and other parties regarding title and survey requirements and curative matters.
• Assist with title objection and title curative processes.

Commercial Leasing

• Assist with commercial leases, amendments, assignments, renewals, estoppels, consents and related documents.
• Manage lease document versions, exhibits, execution and closing processes.
• Track critical lease dates and transaction requirements.

Corporate and Business Matters

• Assist with LLC and corporate formations, governance and business transactions.
• Prepare organizational documents, resolutions, consents, certificates and other entity documents from attorney-approved forms.
• Maintain corporate records and entity files.
• Coordinate Secretary of State and other governmental filings.
• Assist with asset purchases, equity transactions, business acquisitions, sales and related due diligence.
• Manage transaction checklists, signature packages and closing binders.

Client and Matter Management

• Maintain responsibility for the day-to-day status and progression of assigned matters.
• Proactively follow up on outstanding documents, information, signatures and deadlines.
• Communicate professionally with clients and transaction participants regarding procedural and administrative matters.
• Provide concise status reports to the Managing Attorney.
• Identify and promptly escalate issues requiring attorney review or legal judgment.

Law Firm Operations

• Assist the Managing Attorney with day-to-day firm operations and workflow management.
• Coordinate and delegate appropriate work to administrative support personnel.
• Develop and maintain firm procedures, checklists, templates and systems.
• Help improve client intake, matter opening, document management, billing and file-closing processes.
• Maintain organized electronic filing, document-naming and version-control systems.
• Help develop systems that improve efficiency and allow administrative work to be appropriately delegated.
• Assist with billing, accounts receivable, vendor coordination and other administrative functions as needed.

Qualifications:

• Significant commercial real estate or transactional paralegal experience.
• Experience conducting or reviewing commercial real estate title searches and examining recorded title documents.
• Experience reviewing commercial surveys and identifying title/survey issues for attorney review.
• Experience managing commercial real estate transactions through closing.
• Corporate/entity experience strongly preferred.
• Commercial leasing and financing experience preferred.
• North Carolina commercial real estate experience strongly preferred.
• Excellent organizational, communication and project-management skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple active matters and deadlines.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership of transactions and anticipate next steps.
• Experience improving law firm processes or coordinating administrative personnel is preferred.

Ideal Candidate: We are looking for someone who is experienced, proactive, organized, detail-oriented and accountable. The successful candidate does not simply wait for individual assignments but takes ownership of matters, keeps transactions moving, follows up without prompting and gives the Managing Attorney confidence that deadlines and administrative details are being handled.

This position requires the ability to work independently while understanding the distinction between paralegal responsibilities and matters requiring attorney legal judgment.